Zamek w Ełku

Poland, Poland

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Zamek w Ełku, located on an island in Lake Ełckie in northeastern Poland, was constructed by the Teutonic Order starting in 1398 under Ulrich von Jungingen as a Gothic brick fortress to secure borders with Mazovia and support colonization efforts, featuring a rectangular plan with curtain walls, a residential wing, and defensive towers completed by 1408.

It changed hands multiple times during 15th-century conflicts, endured a failed 1520 Mazovian siege thanks to reinforced fortifications, and transitioned into a Renaissance-style residence in the mid-16th and late 16th-17th centuries, serving as shelter during 1656 Tatar raids.

After Prussian acquisition in 1772, it housed courts and a prison from the late 19th century until World War II damage left it in ruins; today, the remnants are a protected historic site near the city center.